The Beast
by Boxer216
Summary: A tale as old as time, where everything has beauty & love doesn't need to be perfect, it just needs to be true. AU-ish with Brittana pairings. Beauty & the Beast inspiration, Beast!Santana Beauty!Brittany
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I went nuts when I got inspiration for this story, loosely based off Beauty & the Beast, but with my own tweaks.

* * *

The dawn of the morning broke through the grey skies, the foggy remnants of night disappearing. Throughout the village heavy yawns escaped weary wives, preparing for an early morning of household chores. Cooking breakfast for husbands and sons and gathering their daughters to start cleaning the dirty livestock bustled anxiously for food and attention in the barns and stalls littering the village, waiting for their masters to hurry and wake. The sun shined brightly as it passed over the large church standing tall in the square.

Many families inhabit the village, coming from various backgrounds and social standards. Like in every society, there come divisions among the poor and rich. This quaint village knows all too well the discriminating pupils of power. The families with wealth and class that emerged from their ancestors good fortune and business, old money. Many villagers work hard as farmers and merchants, selling what they have in hopes of good sales.

On this particular morning, a handsome couple with fine silk clothes and jewelry sit at the mahogany table, their young daughter waiting on their slave to serve breakfast.

The middle-aged man,Carlos Lopez, had lived in the small village for a number of years, and after showing exceptional leadership as a huntsman was elected as mayor. Mr. Lopez used to be an honest man with good intentions, but had given up on those intentions when laundering money and accepting bribes became easier. His wife, Mable Lopez, is a successful manipulator, regularly convincing townspeople that paying higher taxes will serve the community as a whole, but in actuality continues to fill the Lopez household's pockets. Playing the perfect housewife.

The last of the Lopez family is Santana Lopez, who has grown in the riches and glamour of wealth, never knowing the reward of earnest hard work. Her parents showered her in the finest gowns, necklaces, and shoes only money could buy. Santana growing up didn't question why her parents wouldn't let her play with children in lower class, but rather accepted it. So at eighteen years of age, she has a circle of acquaintances she may call friends from only the wealthiest families.

Today, she and her friends would go into the market to find more frivolous things to fill their closets and drawers. Santana sits comfortably at the top of the food chain, commanding a fair amount of followers to do her bidding and give her company when she pleases.

Mr. and Mrs. Lopez leisurely drink their coffee and nibble on the semi-toasted bread with jam, reading quietly the books in front of them, freely ignoring the obedient servant laying the napkins across their laps and straightening the silverware.

"Mother, Father." Santana said sternly.

"Yes?" Her father replied without looking up from his book.

"I need money." Santana demanded rudely while smoothing out her dress.

"In my hand-tote sweetie." Mrs. Lopez said indifferently.

"I'll be gone most of the day." Santana stated, turning to snap her fingers at the servant.

"Berry, hurry up. Don't keep her waiting." Mr. Lopez barked.

"Yes sir."

Rachel Berry has been the servant of the Lopez family for roughly six years now, attending to every wish and command, even the most demeaning. She is humble and complimentary towards the Lopez family, knowing that kindness can serve more purposeful than manual labor.

"You'll be joining me in the market today. I don't want to exhaust too much energy carrying all my goods." said Santana.

"Yes ma'am."

"And don't call me ma'am, I'm not old like my mother." Santana replied harshly, sending a snide smirk towards her mother.

"Santana, you may be youngest here, but let's not forget who the classiest." Mrs. Lopez responded condescendingly.

Santana had not even bothered to respond before storming out the front door. Rachel knew that her mistress would grow impatient if she wasn't immediately at her heels with her coat. Rachel could imagine Santana relentlessly tapping her foot and huffing came bustling out of the Lopez home quickly, looking rather flustered having to try and meet the needs of three equally selfish individuals, it was not always an easy task to feat.

"What took you so long?" Santana snapped. Rachel opened her mouth to respond, but Santana was too quick. "Nevermind I don't care." She said roughly pulling her coat from Rachel's grasp.

They walked briskly towards the center of town, where the market was opened in front of the church. It was habitual task for Santana to meet with her friends every week and look around the market to tease and mock the poor, as well as buy needless things.

Santana strode forward past crowds of people, glaring at anyone of them that glanced in her direction, she enjoyed holding power over them, seeing how they cowered at her presence, whether it was her parents they feared or her confident self, she didn't care. It was better to be feared than loved.

There standing at the base of the church stairs were four of Santana's friends, Samuel and Quinn Fabray, Michael Chang, and lastly Sugar Motta. Samuel, better known as Sam was the eldest of them all and held a favorable position among the council in the village with his father Russell Fabray. The Fabray family is the second wealthiest family in the village and maintains control over the trading business. Santana and Sam have had a prearranged marriage since before they were born, both parents knowing full well it will only gain them more money and power to intermingle the families.

Sam has been fond of Santana since she has come of age. He was lucky enough to have a prearranged marriage with the most beautiful girl in the village, but also with the most money, earning a most coveted wife. It wasn't unknown to Santana that she had power over people with her money and her looks.

Quinn Fabray on the other hand was envious of Santana's position of power and beauty, angry that someone like her can be easily overshadowed over a Lopez. She felt she was just as equal if not better than Santana, deserving of attention and glory such as Santana has.

Michael, otherwise known as Mike, is a simple man; he doesn't need much to keep him happy. He was born into wealth, made of old money. He occasionally helps his father with the blacksmith business demands, but mainly spends his time selling his father's goods around the state.

Lastly Sugar Motta, a mistake of a name most of the townspeople think, came from a New England home. Many of the villagers felt her parents were obsessive over tea and hence given her the name, that or insanely mad. Rather annoying gal Sugar may be, but she doesn't hesitate to shower her friends with money for no apparent reason.

"What took you?" Quinn said agitated.

"The Help took too long getting my jacket, so throw your snarky attitude at her Fabray."

"Calm down girls. It's a nice day, no need to bicker." Mike said patiently, placing his arm out for Quinn to take a hold of and escort.

"Tell Lopez it's not ladylike to be late." Quinn quipped turning her nose up and walking away with Mike.

"Don't pay much mind to her, she woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Sam said, also holding his arm out for Santana to take.

"Well next time get your servant to throw a bucket of cold water on her for me." Santana replied nastily.

"That would be quite a show." Sam chuckled loudly.

"Why is it I never have an escort?" Sugar whined loudly.

"Use Berry." Santana paused for a moment, turning to look at Rachel, who was standing patiently awaiting orders. "You know what, never mind she isn't that worthy. You're better by yourself."

"Mhm, I suppose you're right Santana." Sugar said with a snooty tone, giving Rachel a disgusted look.

Leaving Rachel to follow dejectedly behind, the group strode through the market viewing all the tents set up selling merchandise, vendors eagerly trying to gain the attention of the richest teenagers in the town to buy enough to feed their families tonight.

"Hey look what's over there?" Quinn said tapping Santana on the arm pointing towards a young blonde woman, holding eggs and fruit talking to another vendor about honey.

"Watch this." Sam said,sneaking past them and casually walking by with an arrogant stalk.

He walked behind the girl who was wearing a tattered blue cloak and torn up black boots. Her gown was off-white and looked older. Her blonde hair rested to the side in a neat braid and held a single flower at the base of the braid. The girl looked pleasant chatting with the vendor, unknowing of the trick Sam was about to play on her.

Sam roughly shoulder checked the young woman, effectively hitting the eggs from the basket, watching as each one cracked and broke on the ground. The blonde gasped and spun shocked towards Sam, looking bewildered.

"Oh sir, I'm sorry I must have been in your way."

"Please, it was my fault. Here let me help you in any way I can." Sam said bending down and giving the young woman a charming smile, to which she blushed heavily.

By the side Santana and her friends were having difficulty restraining their boisterous laughs, letting a squeal out in tiny spurts and red in the face, ready to explode with laughter, but remained composed to see what Sam had in stored next.

As Sam reached towards the basket to place what eggs had survived, he slapped the basket out of the young girl's hands and made the rest of the contents smash to the ground, completely ruining everything the girl had just purchased. Her eyes grew watery and her face turned crimson with the sounds of laughter echoed loudly among the market, redirecting all the attention on the poor girl. She covered her face and ran as quickly as she could towards the end of town, all the while Santana and her friends continued to laugh.

"That was quite enjoyable." Mike said giving Sam a pat on the back and wiping a lone tear from his eye.

"Yes, I especially like the fake charm; surely everyone knows you don't have any." Santana cackled.

As they continued laughing down the street, their mood abruptly changed when Santana was paying little mind to where she was walking as she collided with an elderly woman who stumbled into a sack of potatoes. Santana scoffed; appalled that such a woman would not see her clearly strolling down the street.

"Oh mister can you please help me up?" The old woman begged desperately reaching towards Sam with a shaking hand.

Sam stepped forward but Santana slapped a hand against his chest stopping him. He looked at Santana confused and stepped back into place understanding what Santana wanted. Santana glared down at the feeble woman in torn rags. Her face withered with wrinkles, her eyes worn and hurt. She had a cane with a beautifully molded rose on it, with the vine trailing down the cane.

"My, what a nice cane you have. What does an old hag like you have this for?" Santana snickered loudly, yanking the cane out of the woman's hand.

"It was my husband's." The woman replied strongly, working diligently to gain her footing and rise.

"That's a shock you were even married! A woman like you should never have cursed a man with your looks and contagious poverty." Santana threw the cane down.

"And what do you know about curses my dear?" The elderly woman said eerily, picking her cane up. Santana briefly felt a shiver run down her spine at the woman's words.

The group of young adults remained still watching Santana and this woman have a silent standoff, waiting for one to strike first. Bystanders paid no mind to the spectacle, directing their attention to the sales of products and eager shoppers.

"Don't play games with me you old hag, you don't frighten me with your tales." Santana said crossing her arms defensively.

"Until you learn what it means to love and be loved, you will get a personal lesson in curses." The woman said striking her cane towards Santana's heart.

Santana stumbled back for a moment, having the wind knocked out of her. She placed her hand over her chest scanning for any cuts. After seeing none she looked up at the older woman, the hue of green swirls circling underneath her skin going unseen.

"Oh my goodness! Santana are you alright?" Sam lunged forward, cradling Santana.

"You best watch out for yourself. I'll be making your life a living hell!" Santana threatened, retreating back with her friends to Mike's house, where his mother serves as the community nurse.

"Soon that will be your life." The woman whispered under her breath and made eye contact with Rachel. While Santana's friends busied themselves with a breathless Santana, the old woman approached Rachel and said, "Help her. She will need guidance." And with that disappeared among the crowd.

Rachel stood stunned and confused with the message before catching up quickly with the rest of the group and hearing the ordeal being talked about.

"What was the woman's problem?" Sugar asked angrily.

"Has anyone ever seen her before?" Quinn interjected, opening the door to the Chang household.

"Not that I know of." Sam replied.

They walked Santana to a table chair and sat her down gently, as she was still having trouble breathing. She clenched the arms of the chair with a painful grip until her knuckles turned white. She remembered having the wind knocked out of her as a kid, but it was never this painful before. The pain spread through her whole body like continuous ripples in water, slowly but surely diminishing. Her lungs felt restricted though and her body felt weakened dramatically.

"Mother, will you come and help us for a moment?" Mike called out towards the kitchen.

"Ms. Lopez, would you like me to get your parents at all?" Rachel asked timidly.

"No." Santana rasped.

"Inform them of this encounter." She inquired.

"I said no hobbit!" Santana hollered viciously, resulting in Rachel retreating quickly behind the group of people surrounding her.

"Sorry to interrupt, my name is Cheryl Cha-"

"I know who you are Mrs. Chang." Santana said abruptly cutting Mrs. Chang off.

Mrs. Chang was an older woman with sophisticated taste in class and punctuality. Having had fifteen years of nursing as experience, she has witnessed the worst of injuries and best of recoveries. Her hands are aged with delicate stitching and needle work, possessing uniqueness in her practice.

"Is there something then I can help you with?" Mrs. Chang asked impatiently, knowing full well that the youngest Lopez has a very testy attitude.

"Help me breathe, can you not tell I am having trouble?" Santana said annoyed.

"If you give me any further disrespect in my household, then you can leave without any treatment. Am I understood?" Mrs. Chang asked with her eyebrows raised.

"Forget it, Berry help me up and let's go home. I don't need to have any assistance from a woman who will not respect a Lopez." Santana huffed, struggling to get up straight while gasping for another breath.

"Ms. Lopez I think it may be best if we have Mrs. Chang examine you. May-"

"I did not ask you for your two cents! Not that you even have any to give. Keep that in mind next time you feel to speak your thoughts." Santana snapped angrily.

They hobbled out the door awkwardly, leaving everyone in a deafening silence. Santana did not care what her friends thought of her, nor of Mrs. Chang, ultimately she has control in the village and they are under her and her parents thumb. But this was a preface to what Santana really thought. She was scared of what people spoke of her, what they would whisper excitedly about Santana Lopez. She feared their opinions so much, she blocked them out and pretended they were mere nothings.

"Take me through the back gate Berry." Santana ordered once they were close to her home.

"Yes miss. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Stoke the fire and get me a cold washcloth for my head. I wish to lay down for a bit. Tell my parents I fell ill at the market and just need rest."

"Yes miss. Shall I attend to them while you rest?"

"Yes, it's not like they would care anyway if I was sick." Santana grumbled, trudging up the stairs slowly.

"I'm sure they would miss, they just happen to be busy often."

"Being busy for eighteen years is a pitiful excuse."

"I agree miss." Rachel concurred.

Rachel helped Santana out of her extravagant gown and corset and placed a metal pan of hot coals at the foot of her bed with an ice bucket by her desk. A single candle was lit in the room, just enough to see the shadows dancing gracefully across the wallpaper.

"Good night miss Santana, call if you need anything. I'll be at your service."

Santana said nothing in response and rolled over in an effort to find comfort in her sleep.

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A/N: Let me know what you think so far:) I've got a few more chapters already finished and just going through some editing


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Another chapter!

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The heart was beating rhythmically throughout the night, small rapping sounds from inside her chest.

Thump-thump… thump-thump... thump-thump.

Soft labored breaths spill over the lips of a young woman, easily sighing with each exhale. Her body is relaxed and loose, muscles elongated and spine stretched. In mere moments all this would change, as will Santana's world.

The quiet beats echoing in her chest came to an abrupt stop, pausing just long enough for Santana to snap her eyes open. It jolted back once she launched up clutching her chest drawing in a gasping breath, but finding it overwhelming difficult. She kept her hand to her chest and began panting heavily.

Thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump. .thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump..

Her heart began pounding rapidly, strong enough for her to lean over clenching her nightgown desperately for any oxygen and hope her heart would slow its beat. But the sweet release Santana wanted would not come for her, not this night.

Thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump. .thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump..

She could hear her heart reverberating in her ears like a repeating drum, louder and louder as the blood ran to her face. She began sweating profusely, violently throwing the covers off herself and swinging her feet over the edge of her bed. There she remained gripping her bed staring at the ground determinedly.

Thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump. .thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump..

She couldn't handle the anxiety that was building up in her. She needed help but couldn't find enough air in her throat to call for her parents or Rachel for that matter. She rose steadily before realizing her vision became blurry. Her room morphed into a melted painting, making it harder for her to see what was around her. She fell hard to the floor breathing irregularly.

She glanced down at her hands and saw them twitching feverishly, she lost control of whatever function she thought she had, attempting to move her digits without success.

Thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump. .thump-thump.. thump-thump.. thump-thump..

Santana lay on her bedroom floor quivering in fear of what was happening to her, speechless of the lack of control, desperate for help and unable to call out. She used her numb limbs and began to hit the ground with whatever might she had, slowly rising her fist and letting it drop with the force of gravity to make any sort of sound.

It felt like an eternity, feeling the sweat build on her brow and the limbs losing more feeling with each passing second, but finally Rachel came into Santana's line of vision, looking fuzzy around the edges and distant sounding. Santana could barely keep her eyes open from the amount of pain she was in, hardly giving Rachel more than a blink for a response.

The pain was running through the course of her veins, infecting every inch of her body. Her muscles were contracting. Her joints ached with heavy pressure, her eyes wandered aimlessly around the ceiling, sometimes rolling back into the sockets. She cried out in gargled, pained groans feeling spasms rip through her body.

"Help her Carlos! Help my beautiful baby girl!" Wailed Mrs. Lopez.

At some point her parents entered the room, shocked with the discovery of their daughter writhing on the floor violently. Mrs. Lopez had tears forming in her eyes watching her daughter thrash roughly. Mr. Lopez stood stock still in sheer terror of what was unfolding in front of him.

"I can't! I don't know what to do!" He hollered frustrated and scared.

Mr. and Mrs. Lopez couldn't recognize their daughter, watching as she rolled around like a ragdoll in pain, seizing and crying in agony as an unseen entity inflicted itself upon her. Carlos grabbed his traveling cloak from the coat hanger and wrapped his daughter in it and picked her up, briskly walking her down to the basement.

The basement housed any animals Mr. Lopez caught to be skinned and sold for meat. It was a dank room with a single half window with metal bars, it could barely see into the city streets. It was grimy and stale in the chilled room. He had never seen such a physical tantrum such as this and thought demons may be upon his daughter. He thought for the safety of him and his wife, as well as their daughter, he would lock her up until the morning.

Santana continued to spasm with intense force in his arms. In between her ragged breathing she was mumbling incoherent sentences and words, but nothing that could be heard or understood. Mrs. Lopez cried loudly at the top of the stairs staring at her daughter so distraught, disbelieving the situation was even happening. Mr. Lopez chained both his daughter's wrist and ankles to the metal shackles inside a cage. He felt a slight twinge of guilt, but thought it was all for the best before closing the door to the cage and walking away without a second glance.

Santana began to panic, after having gotten the attention she was desperate for, she received no help or words of comfort. She concentrated hard on her surroundings, smelling the foul stench of stale blood, she realized she was in the basement. Breathing hard against the cold concrete, she yanked hard on her wrists, confirming her suspicions of what her father truly did. Her mother and father left her alone in a dark, cold basement to fight whatever this is taking over her body.

Fueled with rage she screamed until her lungs burned and tears ran down her face, "Mother! Father! Please help me! Please!" Again and again she cried out, but never heard a response.

"Fath-AH!" she cried out before slapping her hands against the concrete, frantically trying to find something to hold on to while the pain became so unbearable her vision went white and heat flared up her spine through her arms to her hands and feet. She heard mumbled voices ringing in her head, becoming increasingly louder and louder with each pulse of pain. She let out one agonizing and haunting scream filled with the last bit of energy left. The screams echoed off the bare walls as she collapsed on her side without another sound.

Her heart became docile, returning back to a steady state of rhythm. It was the only soothing touch that eve.

Thump-thump… thump-thump… thump-thump…

* * *

"What are we going to do now?" Mrs. Lopez asked in a hushed, nervous tone.

"We are going to have to make something up! No one can know of this."

The basement had a small ray of light shining through the window, cascading over Santana's eyes. Her body felt heavy and sluggish, she didn't want to move. Every sound seemed to be amplified and exaggerated. She squeezed her eyes tighter hoping last night was just a night terror, but by the way her body felt, it wasn't a dream.

"F-father… m-mother?" Santana stuttered.

"Oh! Sweetie, you're awake?" Mrs. Lopez replies shakily.

"What happened?" Santana asked groggily.

"You've been unconscious for a while baby girl." Mr. Lopez spoke up.

"How long?" Santana asked without moving from her still position, afraid the pain will return.

"Three days sweetie. Just try not to move." Her mother warned.

"Why, what's wrong- ah!" Santana hollered in discomfort. She finally opened her eyes and fell silent, frozen in disbelief.

She jumped backwards confused with what her eyes saw. Her body was covered in a dark brown fur. She felt her face and around her neck and chest, the fur was indeed everywhere. Her hands were no longer petite and small, but rather large and menacing with thick, sharp claws protruding from her fingertips.

Her arms bore more the appearance of small tree trunks; thick with muscle and fur, rippling up her arm towards her broad shoulders and chest. She gingerly felt her face and poked her finger on the canines pushing past her lips, her once soft lips. Her teeth stretched far and held as much edge as her claws, if not more. She felt where her nose used to be and now there was a snout instead. Horrified, she gulped loudly before daring to stand.

She stood shakily, gripping the bars of the cage to gain balance, hearing the shackles clink-n-clang against the bars. Her parents noticeably took a few steps back away from the cage as they watched their daughter stand at a full height, a solid foot and a half above them. Santana stared down at her legs and nearly yelped at seeing her feet, massive paws spanning across the floor with tattered pants.

Santana felt something briskly swipe behind her and rapidly turned to find a furry tail waving lazily back and forth. This time letting out a scream of horror, she couldn't take it anymore, becoming hysterical and sobbing.

"W-what's happened to me?!" Santana asked swirling around further looking at herself.

"We don't know sweetie." Mrs. Lopez said.

"I- but- what-?" Santana couldn't even form a sentence she was so upset.

"Santana, there is something your mother and I must tell you." Mr. Lopez said solemnly.

Santana stared at her parents in a sliver of hope for good news, such as a way to help her or cure her of this unknown ailment. She remained quiet, encouraging her father to continue.

"We need to cover this up. We can't have the town know about this, it will only make things worse."

It was as if the words were another language, Santana blinked hard staring confused at her father. Did she hear that right?

"What? What did you just say?"

"Honey... I know this may be hard for you, but think of our reputations. If we-"

"I don't care about any of that right now!" Santana cut him off, yanking on the chains clasped around her wrists.

Mr. Lopez was momentarily quiet, staring sternly at his daughter. She stood defensively, breathing through her snout harshly. Her eyes were clouded and dark with hurt and fear. Mr. Lopez chose his next words wisely.

"Santana, we love you, truly we do, but we can't mention this to anyone. The townspeople will not understand what-"

"I don't understand! Help me please! Can't we call for anyone, maybe even Mrs. Chang to help?" Santana asked disbelievingly.

"No. No one can know. Not even your friends."

"Then what I am supposed to do!" Santana growled, making her parents flinch.

"Hide here, for the rest of your life. You will still have your mother and I." Mr. Lopez argued, hugging his wife closer to him.

"Please don't do this." Santana lowered her head, looking at her chained up hands. "There must be another way. Please" She begged.

"I'm sorry sweetie. But until we find another solution, that's how things will be." Mr. Lopez said with finality in his voice.

Her parents walked away slowly, glancing back at their bestial daughter and praying no one finds out, in hope of keeping favor of high class, rather than becoming outcasts. Santana slid miserably against the wall, listening to the outside world around her roam freely and busily as if nothing changed.

She looked again at her hands and felt the tears begin to pool in her eyes threatening to spill over. She freely let it happen, knowing she was going to be alone in this basement. Her parents having left her again in a time of desperation. For surely there must have been something that could have been done…

* * *

A small servant girl walked down the stairs to a cage shrouded in darkness. The only source of light came from broken window, allowing a single ray of light. Rachel Berry could feel the nerves spread through her body. She was scared of her mistress and what she had witnessed. It appeared like dark magic or demons had fallen on her mistress and left her in an inhumane state of being. She could peer into the darkness and see her mistress sitting distraught on the floor. Rachel thought it would be best to whisper, in order to avoid trouble with the elder Lopezs.

"Pst Miss Santana! Pst!"

One of Santana's ears perked up at hearing what she thought was a mouse. She strained to listen harder for the noise.

"Miss Santana?" Asked the voice she recognized.

"Berry, leave me alone!" Santana barked angrily, standing and marching aggressively to the bars of her cage.

"Please I only want to help." Rachel said with a soft tone, approaching slowly to the cage.

Rachel could see the anger brewing in Santana's eyes, the only human part of Santana that remained. Otherwise she saw an intimidating beast standing in front of her, seething with rage and hurt.

"How could you possibly fix this?" Santana snapped before sitting back down.

"I have spoken with your parents about your… condition. I have helped them reach certain decisions that I think will benefit you the most."

"Get on with it then."

"Oh, um, right." Rachel said clearing her throat and sitting on the ground, attempting to make eye contact with Santana.

"I serve the Lopez household, which includes each individual carrying the name, not just the head of household-"

"I know this." Snarled Santana.

"But, your parents have refused to make any further contact with you, feeling it is in the family's best interest."

"They cannot cut me off! I am their _only_ daughter. What kind of parents could do that?" Santana cried hurt.

"I know this mistress, but I tried everything in my power to convince them their decision was not the best course of action."

"And what did they say?"

"They said I should learn my lesson to speak only when spoken to." Rachel said showing a healing bruise on her cheek.

"Figures they would." Santana grumbled under her breath.

"Regardless, I made a deal with your parents that would permit you to have an arrangement of freedom, as well as have me as your servant alone."

"My parents are not that kind, they do not fool me. There must be a catch." Santana said squinting her eyes at Rachel, who shifted nervously.

"You may only venture at night, limited to once a week for now as a test trial. You must go to the abandoned forest on the outskirts of town and be back before sunrise."

"Great. Good to know." Santana said grumpily and turned away from Rachel, letting the rays hit her eyes.

"There is one more thing miss Lopez…" Santana remained apathetic in listening to Rachel.

"I tried my best to find that woman from the previous day, maybe to ask if she knows anything about your condition." Rachel said distractedly while twirling her thumbs.

"WHAT!? You mean to tell me that woman did this to me?!" Santana bellowed loudly, lunging towards the cage bars, before being stopped by her chains.

"I-I don't know that for sure, b-but she seemed to have been a part of it somehow I believe."

"TELL ME!" Santana continued to yell.

"She had said something to me before she vanished into the crowd. She said, 'Help her. She will need guidance'."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Santana asked clawing at the ground.

"I haven't the faintest idea miss, but can you recall anything else she said to you?"

"Something about love and curses. I didn't really pay much mind to the hag."

"I will continue to look for a cure miss, but it will take time. So for now, we can work through this together." Rachel beamed with a smile, standing up and wiping off her dress.

" _WE_? How are you affected by this? I don't see you as a gnarly beast whose life has been ruined!" Santana towered over Rachel in her cage, glaring down menacingly.

Rachel fearfully tripped backwards, terrified and shaking before the dangerous creature. Rachel took a deep breath before straightening her posture, squaring her shoulders and holding her chin high.

"Miss Lopez, my life was ruined a long time ago, but that doesn't mean all hope is lost in finding new opportunities."

"Take your fake wisdom and tell it to someone who cares." Santana said offhandedly before pacing inside her cage, still fuming with anger.

"The more anger you hold about the past Santana, the less capable you are of loving the present." And with that Rachel proceeded upstairs to return to her search of cures for the mistress and left Santana wading in her old memories and regrets.

* * *

Time passed slowly as Santana kept revisiting pieces of her past, examining and breaking apart aspects she thought she'd love. The beautiful gowns and fine jewelry, her marriage to Sam, what was to come of her so called "friends"?

Sitting on the cold floor she drew patterns into the concrete with one of her claws, making sketches of trees and fields, thinking she wouldn't be able to freely enjoy the weather in the daylight anymore. A bustling of sound outside drew her attention.

Townspeople began gathering around the Lopez home, hushed whispers rang throughout the growing crowd. Santana could hear a few words here and there, but couldn't make out what anyone was saying in particular. She stood on her tip toes to listen harder, only able to see the heels of people's shoes.

"Gather round! Gather round!" hollered a low voice.

"I want to thank you for coming here today to support my wife and I. There, there, now dear it's alright." Cooed the strong voice. Santana knew what was happening; her father had called a meeting in front of their house, which was only used to relay important information.

"I wanted to let you all know of the grave news I have to share today. Our beautiful daughter, Santana, was kidnapped in the middle of the night and stolen from us. We have no leads or hints as to who did this, or why."

Hollers and gasps erupted throughout the crowd, everyone seemed shocked by the news.

"Is there anything we can do!" yelled one man.

"I'm afraid not. We have already hired a private investigator to help, but please keep our daughter in your thoughts and prayers." Mr. Lopez held his sobbing wife close and returned inside to their quite home.

Outside villagers busied themselves with the tragic news, wildly turning towards one another with bewildered looks, gossiping enthusiastically about the Lopez household.

"What a shame, the girl was so beautiful. Bless her soul and pray she has at least one child to pass on her beauty." Said one woman.

"Now who am I to marry?" cried Sam angrily, storming through the crowd.

"Maybe this is payback for all the horrible things she's ever done." Said one man passing by.

Santana continued to listen to the horrible things spoken about her, feeling her chest fill with a sinking weight with each comment. Every comment spoke was about her lost l elegance and grace. Not a single person said they were worried about her safety or well-being, only her looks.

Santana curled into a ball and tucked herself away into the corner, realizing how truly alone she was. She never had relationships or bonds with people, just power struggles and manipulated trade-offs. Now she lay here in a place similar to her heart, empty, cold, and hopeless.

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A/N: Tell me what you think. I'm very excited to be writing this story finally.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The continuation of "The Beast", enjoy!**  
 **all mistakes are my own & I do not own glee or any of it's characters.**

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The night poured over the town streets and homes, leaving a veil of shadows. All that could be heard was the wisp of the wind through the brittle leaves and crickets chirping a midnight lullaby.

Rachel looked out the window searching for a soul passing through the streets, luckily at this hour, most of the townsfolk were spent on their hard days work, snoring loudly in their beds. Rachel drew the curtains shut and made her way to the basement, prepared to serve her mistress with whatever she needed. Rachel grabbed the key to unlock both the cage and the shackles from Mr. Lopez's cabinet in the kitchen, proceeding down the creaky, dimly lit stairs.

There sitting in the corner wallowing in her sorrows was Santana, the beastly creature looking as miserable as the room she sat in. Rachel made a mental note to try and make the basement more comfortable and homey for her, considering she'll never be able to leave this place.

"Good evening Ms. Lopez." Rachel greeted tentatively.

"Nothing is good about it." Santana mumbled quietly.

"Sure there is miss, why tonight is the eve you are permitted to venture to the dark forest."

"So I may join the other monsters that lurk there?" Santana asked bitterly, looking up at Rachel.

Rachel hesitated a moment, looking at Santana's eyes and saw the hurt and sadness behind them. Feeling pity on her mistress Rachel decided not to respond but rather step forward and unlock the cage. Santana watched as the door to the cage swung open on the rusted hinges, producing a high pitched squeak, but didn't bother to move.

"I would imagine you would like those shackles removed miss?" Rachel asked, but Santana remained staring at the open cage.

Rachel took a slow step inside the cage and could feel how depressing it was inside. Santana remained still, not moving her paws for Rachel to unlock the shackles. Rachel raised her eyebrows expectedly in hopes of Santana understanding.

"Miss, if I may, can you stretch your arms out?" Rachel asked politely.

Santana glared at Rachel for a moment, holding her gaze steadily before launching herself at Rachel, grabbing her by the shoulders and holding her off the ground against the metal bars, snarling and hissing.

"Do you think just because I am this beast you are superior? That you have some sort of dominance over me?" Santana growled, bearing her fierce teeth at Rachel.

"Miss, I d-do not w-wish to upset you." Rachel stuttered in fear.

"Then do not command me to do anything! Do you understand?!" Santana roared in Rachel's face before dropping her carelessly to the ground.

Rachel began to feel tears prick at the corners of her eyes and she tried with difficulty to get the hiccups erupting in her chest to settle. Rachel sniffled a few times before reaching for the key that dropped from her hands.

"How may I serve you miss?" Rachel asked meekly.

"Unlock these chains now." Santana demanded, stepping forward and towering over her small servant.

"As you wish." Rachel complied without looking at Santana.

Once Rachel finished, she stepped back looking at the floor, avoiding eye contact and awaiting further orders. She wished Santana would have seen she was only trying to help her, not humiliate her. In time maybe Santana will come to realize this.

"Was there anyone present outside?" Santana asked stepping out of her cramped cage.

"No miss, no one."

"Good, I'll be back in a few hours. Maybe I'll get lucky and have a hunter put me out of my misery." Santana sneered.

Rachel followed her mistress to the bottom of the stairs and saw that Santana came to an abrupt, stop looking at the narrow staircase leading to the kitchen and the back door.

"Is everything alright miss?" Rachel asked, also worried about the fact she may not fit.

"Fine. Leave me alone." Santana grunted taking a deep breath and inching up sideways.

Rachel couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how silly it looked to be going up the stairs sideways, but she understood why it was necessary to do so. Santana's large frame was incapable of moving with grace as it once did. Her clunky body moved awkwardly up each stair, careful not to bump into the walls. Rachel was careful to keep quiet. If her mistress knew she was laughing at her, Santana wouldn't hesitate to lash out again.

By the time Santana reached the top of the stairwell the door frame leading to the kitchen was a foot too short, resulting in Santana ducking heavily in order to pass through. However, she was caught in the middle of the door way, Santana growled deeply and rolled her eyes before pushing her way through, breaking off some of the wood work.

"I'll take care of it miss." Rachel said sidestepping the debris scattered across the floor.

"Good." Santana said quietly, looking rather embarrassed. "Come open the back door for me." Santana snapped.

"Yes miss. Enjoy your first eve out, I hope it will be relaxing. I know you were promised this outing two months ago, but your parents wanted to make sure it was appropriately timed to let you roam. Of course once the dust had settled about your kidnapping."

"Actually, what you mean to say is, my parents wanted to make sure I never existed. The town has already forgotten who I am. The talk of my disappearance had ceased shortly after the town meeting. I can hear what they say about me from my hell hole."

"Miss, I-"

"Don't. Just clean up the mess." Santana interrupted, leaving out the back into the chilled night.

Santana stood on her back porch step, staring out into the night. She scanned the rural fields leading to the dark forest, watching as the wheat swayed gently in the cool breeze of night. She felt exposed being out of the house, she felt like a foreigner in her own town. She wrapped her cloak around her body tightly, feeling more self-conscious, even with no one around to see her.

She was curious to explore the streets one last time, knowing no one would be walking around this hour. She knew better however, if her parents were to ever find out, they would kill her. Her parents, her mother and father, Santana thought shaking her head disappointedly. Her blood boiled with anger over what they had done. The parents that were supposed to love her unconditionally tossed her aside without any hesitation in order to protect their name.

Santana fell to her knees, broken and feeling incredibly alone more now than ever, she roared loudly, not caring how close to the town she was. Her bellowed cry echoed through the town. She hated to cry, deeming it weak, but she couldn't stop the tears flowing freely down her furry face. She just let it happen, not caring to wipe them away, she was by herself. She will continue to be in her own company for the rest of her existence.

"What was that?" someone hollered to a neighbor shaken.

Santana's ears perked up and realized she had woken a few of the neighbors, she looked around frantic to see the house candles being lit while people began to venture out of their homes, squinting into the night to find the source of the sound.

Santana struggled to stand and tripped over her own cloak, falling into the mud. She swore under her breath before scrambling into an awkward run. Her legs didn't function the same anymore and felt unnatural. She reluctantly bent over and ran on all fours, finding it to be graceful and swift.

Santana ran hard on all fours for only a few minutes, just long enough to reach the end of the fields and look back towards the town. She rose to her legs and stood tall over the wheat fields, carefully seeing the townspeople had gathered in a small group with torches and candles. With a pain in her chest, she turned away from the society she was once a part of and continued to run towards the dark forest, unsure of what to find.

Santana listened as her paws pounded heavily against the soft earth. She felt the wind breeze through her fur, chilling her to the bones. It was a fairly nice evening, the transitioning into the fall season. The sweet summer scent was gone and replaced with the crisp air that surrounds the changing of the leaves and collection of dew lingering in the mornings.

Santana slowed her pace as she approached a small lake lying in the center of the forest. It was a serene and peaceful lake with a lone pair of ducks treading the water. Santana stared in awe at the beauty of the lake and the forest surrounding it. The lake held a special uniqueness to it, something Santana could not describe nor express. It held a strong draw to her though, something maybe she could have for herself after being robbed of her past life.

She hesitantly walked forward to the lakes edge, wanting to rinse the mud off that she had fallen in earlier. She kneeled down on the shoreline and paused abruptly, startled by the reflection of herself. She examined the hideous face staring wildly at her. How the heavy eyebrows were scrunched in confusion, the fangs that poked out from the parted lips, and the warm eyes filled heated with anger and self-loathe. The same face that once bore beauty no other woman could hold.

Santana continued to look at her reflection sadly, wishing she could be normal again. She could feel her emotions bubbling in her chest, a mixture of concentrated negativity to the point she couldn't stand the growing unease in her stomach. Angrily Santana slapped the water trying to rid of her image, thrashing in the water and roaring in the stillness of the night. In return she heard the echoes of her pained cry reverberate off the lakes rippled waters. She stood waist high in the water right where she began on the lakes shore, staring at an image of herself feeling utterly hopeless.

Panting, she realized this is who she will be for the rest of her life and should accept her fate of being a monster. A creature doomed to be forever alone, finding solace in the forest each night, if permitted.

"Hello? Is someone there?"

Santana froze, shocked to hear a distant voice coming from the edge of the forest. Surely no fool would be dumb enough to walk this hour of the night in the dark forest? Listening, she could hear some rustling coming from her right. Santana's heart plummeted fearing she may have been seen and scampered out of the water into the shadows within the foliage of the forest.

"Hello? Anyone?" The voice called out closer.

Santana held her breath, sincerely nervous that if someone did see her, her chances of returning to the forest are slim if this said person blabbed to the town of a monster lurking in the woods.

Santana heard footsteps passing through the thickets of the forest coming closer to the lake. Santana crouched lower and watched as a young woman stepped out from the bushes.

"Ow, I hate when that happens." The young woman said, pulling her hair from a tree branch.

Santana was perplexed as to why such a young woman was by herself in the dark forest with no protection. It was dangerous during the day and even worse at night. This girl must be lost or dim-witted. Not even the bravest of men venture to hunt in the night.

"Hello?" The young woman called again, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"Huh, well that's odd. I swore I heard something out here. So where were we." The woman spoke to herself pulling out a book and a candle lit lamp, unravelling a blanket she carried with her.

Santana simply observed the woman, watching as she settled comfortably with her blanket and her book, reading silently and enjoying the serenity of the lake, similar to Santana. The girl must not have been much older than Santana. Her hair was the color of a beautiful blonde mane, braided elegantly over her shoulder. Her shoulders were strong and held good posture. Her features were soft and feminine, and her eyes. Santana knew staring was improper but she stared hard at the crystalline blue that skimmed over the rustic pages as a stray hair sprang free of from her braid and she gently tucked it behind her ear whilst turning the page. Santana swam lost in the ocean eyes, mystified at such an incredible beauty. Santana felt compelled to ask for her name, to know who she was as a person.

Santana quickly realized these thoughts were foolish and ridiculous, scolding herself for being so childish. She was not in a position to neither make friends nor ever have company. And yet Santana held an inkling of hope that just maybe the young woman sitting across from her, silently reading her book, could become something as precious as the lake, something to call her own. But it would never be true Santana thought depressingly.

"' _She walks in beauty, like the night, of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright, meet in her aspect and her eyes: thus mellowed to that tender light, which heaven to gaudy day denies_." The woman spoke unexpectedly, causing Santana to flinch.

"Since you've been gone, I've grown fond of poetry. Lord Byron writes beautifully. It is elegant and simple, but takes time to understand. I am not sure what it is, but it makes me ponder if there are other people like me mother, someone else who may not fit into this provincial life. Someone who may speak of me or I speak of them with true passionate love and kinship." The woman spoke, looking up towards the sky.

"I think, just sometimes, I cannot be alone and I'll find another. Then we can both read to you and to each other. It wouldn't be such a lonely place anymore."

Santana's heart felt heaving listening to the intimate conversation the woman was having, speaking clearly to her mother spiritually. She knew a few friends that lost their parents and would find moments of solitude to talk to the deceased. Santana didn't want to intrude on the woman's private moments, but didn't feel it would be acceptable to leave a young woman like her alone in the wilderness.

"I remember when you told me how you and father met, the sweetest encounter. How he saw you in the town square every day reading. Day after day he would ask for your hand, he knew instantly you were his true love. But you told him no each time. He would show up day after day with gifts. Flowers, dresses, jewelry, but you would never be persuaded, not until he brought you a book of poetry. You said you wouldn't marry a man that couldn't read true love and understood what it meant." She chuckled, smiling fondly. Her smile faded slowly though as she stroked the cover of the book, droplets of tears dancing down her rosy cheeks.

"It's been hard the last year without you. Dad is consumed with making inventions that don't work and has isolated himself, leaving me to do most of the market shopping and farm work. He seems to have lost his spark in life, I can tell he is miserable. And I try to make him happy by making the meals you made, but it's not the same."

Santana looked down in shame, such a personal moment should be respected, and yet with each passing moment the woman's emotions became more raw, more real and it was curious to Santana to see someone so open with themselves. She admired the woman's strength, but would never say such a thing aloud.

She hunched lower and crept forward in order to view the woman closer, her curiosity becoming untamable. Carefully pulling some foliage out of the way to look past the thicket of branches, she accidentally stepped on a small twig, creating just enough sound for the woman to pause mid-sentence and search her surroundings.

The woman scanned around her, looking towards Santana's direction ever so slightly, but rather than stare at the desolate forest she pulled her knees to her chest and shivered next to her lamp, opening her book where she had left off and returned to her literary world. Santana yearned to sit next to the woman and shield her from the brisk wind, it wouldn't be difficult, the young woman was much smaller than her. But again she knew it wasn't logical to expose herself in such a manner. She would probably frighten the poor girl.

All these passing thoughts about this girl were shocking Santana, never before had she taken a keen interest in another person, even remotely. It was unsettling and left Santana feeling uncomfortable with these emotions.

Santana released a large yawn and stretched. She was a little weary from her first night out in the forest, but satisfied nonetheless with the fresh air and freedom. She decided on closing her eyes only for a short moment, checking on the young woman one last time. She felt confident that the young woman would not be wandering around, but instead complacently reading her book by the lake shore. So with that reassurance, Santana huddled close to a tree trunk, leaning against it and closed her heavy lids, getting one glimpse left of the beauty peacefully reading.

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Santana awoke from her short rest feeling a bit dazed and confused, forgetting she was in the middle of the forest. She looked up at the sky and saw it was becoming brighter, with morning breaking over the horizon. Santana loved watching the sun rise, relaxed she continued to watch the flaming red erupt in the sky. She realized then that she needed to be home by this point. Panicked she scrambled to run, but not before checking to see if the young woman was there by the lake side.

It appeared she had long gone, leaving no evidence she were ever there. But Santana had little time to think about her and her safety as she was preoccupied with getting home on time, and before daylight could reveal her.

Santana ran back to the town fiercely, swiftly moving among the thickets and branches of the forest. Santana was thankful for her new form and its ability to be powerful and fast. When she reached the end of the forest and the beginning of the fields, she took a tentative look around to see if anyone had risen yet for morning chores, poking her head above the wheat that stood tall. With no one around, Santana made a bee line for her back porch step, rushing through the wheat fields, destroying some of the crops.

Santana was only a few hundred feet from her house when she came to the clearing between the fields and her house. There was no cover for her to take and she was a nervous wreck about being seen, trying to come up with a way to get across undetected. But the longer she waited the more daylight was approaching, dawn had already risen, it was only a matter of time before the fall sun shine down.

She took a deep breath before launching herself to the back porch, not daring to look around to see if anyone was around, remaining concentrated on her house. She reached the final steps and crawled up them quickly and slamming the door shut behind her, rushing to the stairs leading to her cage. Going too quickly down the stairs she tripped and tumbled the rest of the way down and landing face first at the foot of her cage.

She groaned in pain and rubbed her head before hearing an odd tapping sound. She looked up at what was creating the tapping sound and sitting in a chair with a pair of shackles was her father looking rather displeased and angry. Rachel stood next to him with a massive bruise spreading across her cheek.

"Father I can explain." Santana tried to stand, but her father kicked her back down.

"Don't bother. I listened to our servant after she pleaded to let you have one thing, and you abuse it like everything else in your life. I don't care what you do down here, but you are no longer my daughter." He seethed to his daughter slapping the shackles around her wrists and tying them up to the cage.

"Rachel was lucky to get only a strike across her cheek, but the next time you disobey me or this family. I will make sure you get released to the forest and be hunted down." Her father threatened marching upstairs and slamming the door shut.

Santana remain motionless absorbing what her father just said. She thought things couldn't get any worse, and yet they did. She glanced over at Rachel who was busying herself with heating a pot of water over a fire in the corner.

"Rachel, what is my father talking about?"

"He has disowned you mistress, and he fears more for his reputation than your well-being. If you are seen coming into his house, they will accuse him of evil forces for sheltering a beast." Rachel responded timidly.

"But, I am his daughter. Only daughter." Santana began to cry again.

"He does not see that anymore. But let's get you cleaned up." Rachel said walking over to Santana with a wash cloth and brush.

"How was your first night ma'am?" Rachel asked brushing through Santana's fur.

"It was fine. When may I go again?" Santana asked eagerly.

"Not for some time I believe, since you did not arrive until after dawn. "

"But I need to be out there." Santana whined.

"I will see what I can mistress." Rachel said finishing cleaning the pine needles and wheat out of Santana's fur.

Rachel began to walk away, but not before unlocking Santana from her shackles, allowing Santana to freely roam around the basement.

"Rachel?"

"Yes mistress." Rachel stopped looking Santana.

"Can you bring me two blankets, it will be getting cold down here. " Santana asked politely.

Rachel was about to ask if Santana was feeling alright, shocked by the lack of bite in her command.

"As you wish."

Santana walked to the fire and sat down in front of it, thinking the next time she ventures out to the forest, she'll leave a surprise for a certain somebody.

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 **A/N: I like hearing your thoughts :) Thanks for reading!**


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